1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a soap retriever and more particularly to a soap retriever which can be employed in a shower stall.
2. Prior Art
The soap retriever of the present invention, as will appear hereinafter, serves a very practical and useful function in the bathroom, mainly because this accessory is a health conscious item, reducing serious bathtub and shower injuries which frequently occur in these places.
Injuries occur in the bathtub and in the shower stall because of limited range of movement while standing and taking a shower. The soap retriever will greatly reduce the risk of slipping and seriously injuring oneself. This item will be ideal for the elderly and for all people who have problems with restricted movement due to existing long or short term injuries.
Nothing is more frustrating and irritating than dropping your soap while taking a shower, especially while in a small shower stall. It is nearly impossible to retrieve the soap without getting out of the shower itself, and, at times, the soap is hard to grasp. By using the device of the present invention, one can easily retrieve his/her soap quickly and conveniently without bending over. Since there is very little space to maneuver in a shower stall, the device of the present invention will be very useful for pregnant woman, tall people, handicapped people and/or obese people.
A preliminary search was conducted on the present invention and the following listed United States Patents were uncovered:
None of the above patents discloses a device which can be used to pick up or retrieve a bar of soap in a shower stall or in the bathtub. Moller, U.S. Pat. No. 4,155,580, shows a scoop that can be attached to the foot of the person taking the shower for the purpose of retrieving the soap. However, after retrieving the soap, the person would have to lift his foot to a position where the soap could be retrieved by the hand from the elevated foot; this obviously would be very awkward for a normal person and impossible for people having infirmities.
Tucker, U.S. Pat. No. D 368,997, shows a scoop for soap which consists essentially of a trough-shaped member with a handle at one end. It is not understood how this device could be used in a confined area. The person taking the shower would still have to bend over to use this scoop, a feat which would be difficult for the handicapped.
A soap retriever is provided for use in a shower stall or in a bath tub by any person taking a shower who is faced with the prospect of attempting to retrieve a bar of soap which has unhappily fallen to the floor of the stall or tub. The soap retriever consists of a shaft, which could be referred to a cane shaft, and a hook (or crook) at the upper end of the shaft. The hook is downwardly concave. A soap compartment which extends out horizontally from the bottom of the retriever is attached to the lower end of the cane shaft. If desired, the cane shaft can be comprised of two or more tubular elements which are relatively telescopically arranged within one another so as to vary the length of the cane shaft. The cane shaft is preferably made from a light weight metal, such as aluminum, or it could be made out of plastic material.
The soap compartment includes a pair of flat horizontal plates vertically spaced from each other and extending out divergently, or fan-like, from the base of the cane shaft. The forward edge of the lower plate is preferably flat and can be somewhat tapered. The upper plate, however, can be curved along the forward edge and can be scalloped to provide an attractive appearance. The vertical distance between the two plates is relatively greater than the thickness of a conventional bar of soap. In use, the person taking a shower will remove the soap retriever from the shower curtain rod and grasp the cane shaft at the upper end thereof or even grasp the curved hook and then retrieve the soap by maneuvering the soap compartment against the bar of soap. Thereafter, the shaft is raised to a position where the soap can be removed from the soap compartment and the device can be hooked over the shower curtain rod.